Inuyasha Hamilton
by FoxieSango
Summary: REWRITING: How does an arrogant, immigrant, orphan, bastard, half-demon overcome trials, tribulations, and hardships to build a lasting legacy? My goal is to make this as a unique a story a possible. I don't own "Inuyasha" or "Hamilton: An American Musical." Reviews are welcome! (Rated M for language).
1. Chapter 1

A/N: "How does an arrogant, immigrant, orphan, bastard, son of a human and a demon overcome all odds to build his legacy?" A crossover between my favorite anime and my favorite musical!

This is a work in progress. I find a lot of similarities personality-wise between the Inuyasha characters and the Hamilton characters, so I wanted to try merging the two worlds. Note, this is NOT a 'plug and play.' As in, it's not a script format where the Inuyasha characters just sing lines from the musical. There's a plot here.

Also, I'm taking a LOT of creative liberties with this, so it won't exactly follow the order of songs from the story will be unique in itself so please stay open-minded and give constructive criticism!

So enjoy the ride & have fun!

* * *

Inuyasha tightened his grip on the extra weight that was latched like a vice around his back, waist and neck, using the balls of his feet to swiftly sprint across the worn dirt path of the forest floor under the blanket of the obsidian sky. The foliage overhead and the shrubbery around him were his best friends that night.

The extra load he was carrying was not.

"Damn-it, Totosai! How many times have I got to tell you to stop agitating the damn rebels! This is the fourth time this month you've fucking pissed them off!"

"You know, for folks preaching on and on about building a new nation of independence and freedom, there sure isn't much respect for one's right to free speech around here!"

"It's gotta be the RIGHT kind of speech, you moron. You just sought out a bunch of demon rabble rousers to preach to them about why they should remain loyal to a fucking demented tyrant hell bent on making their lives miserable. What'd you think was gonna happen?!"

"Hey! I'm an old man, I can't be held responsible for what I say!" Totosai said, tightening his arms around the half-demon's neck as the younger boy bent his knees and launched himself upward to a slender crevice carved in the side of a nearby mountain. The boy then hunkered down and narrowed his eyes, casting his golden irises about to determine if he could still see the angry mob that had been chasing them down for half of the night. His furry ears twitched, as he could most certainly hear them.

"Besides, Naraku is who they should be scared of! He's got eyes and ears everywhere! If he hears me talking against him, I'm as good as dead!" Totosai added.

"Tch, you've got one foot in the grave already anyway, old man," Inuyasha whispered.

"I'd rather have the power decide when I leave this world on my own, thank you very much!" Totosai shot back.

"Whatever. Keep this up and the choice will be made for you. Now pipe down before they catch us," Inuyasha said, shifting backwards towards the shadows as he noticed the mob getting closer.

To make matters worse, it was a mob of demons, which meant they could easily pick Inuyasha and Totosai apart while barely lifting a pinky. After all, what match were a half-demon and a full demon so old his bones cracked when he moved against a hoard or powerful monsters?

In other words, the situation was fairly dire.

But then, what els was new? Inuyasha was used to this by now.

At 19 years old, Inuyasha was a spry, wiry, young half-dog demon who found himself swept up in the wave of revolutionary fervor that was flooding the colonies of the New World not long after arriving in New York City from Japan.

It was an interesting scenario to say the least—currently, everyone was under the rule of Naraku, an entity supposedly rumored to be a dark demon whom no one had seen in person before, but was renowned for his despicable acts of deception, desecration, destruction, and devastation.

Rumor had it that he possessed a nearly completed legendary Shikon Jewel which, though not whole, granted him enough power that anyone who dared to tangle with him would beg for him to end their life so they could escape from the turmoil.

Because of the threat of the jewel's power, there were humans, demons, and half-demons alike who were loyal to Naraku. They were Narakonians (original, right?).

Then, you had those like Inuyasha who sought the right to independence and freedom—to make a way for themselves without fear of retaliation from a sinful cretin and his followers. They were the Rebellion, and they were part of an movement that was determined to build a new, independent nation and bring about a new way of life, one free of turmoil, agony, and corrupt tyranny…for everyone.

They didn't know if the rumor of the Shikon Jewel was real or not, but they knew one thing….they were going to bring an end to Naraku.

Totosai was an old demon, and one of the heads of Kings College university where Inuyasha was trying to enroll. Inuyasha actually worked for the man—okay…so, more like he trained with him. Inuyasha met Tototsai not long after arriving and settling in the city of New York, back when he had nothing but the clothes on his back, a satchel, and some pocket change. One random encounter, misunderstanding, and a sparring match later, Inuyasha found himself a mentor not three days after calling home the colonial city that was buzzing with heated tension and electricity.

However, there was a catch.

It was no secret that Totosai, unlike Inuyasha, supported Naraku (…more like he was too terrified for his life to challenge the tyrannical demon's rule). Still, despite this, Totosai looked out for and motivated the young half-demon. Plus, he had the wisdom and expertise from being a damn good fighter in his youth, which he was more than happy to impart on Inuyasha.

Inuyasha felt sorry for the crap Totosai got on the daily for his beliefs. So, regardless their differences in political views, Inuyasha felt it was his duty to keep the man from having his head cut off from other rebels who were…not so tolerable of differences of opinion.

On this night Totosai found himself cornered by demons ready to tar, feather, scalp, and slay him for urging that they pledge their allegiance to Naraku, lest they face the dark demon's wrath. Needless to say, they were none to thrilled to hear his opinion.

Inuyasha had tried to diffuse the situation, basically telling everyone to leave Totosai alone because the guy was an insane old coot who didn't know what he was saying. That seemed to work until the geezer opened his big mouth and shouted, "LONG LIVE THE REIN OF BLACK, LONG LIVE NARAKU." This, of course, sparked the catalyst for them to whip out their torches and pitch forks, leading us to where our protagonists were now: hiding with baited breath as they wanted for their potential captors to get tired and go home.

"Eh….eeh…a-ah—" Totosai suddenly began taking in deep breaths, right in the hanyou's ear—the early stages of a fast approaching sneeze. Inuyasha cringed and whipped his head around at the old man angrily.

"Stuff it! If we get caught, you're on your own!" He said, quickly maneuvering to wrap one hand around the old man's mouth and the other around his torso to hold him still. Totosai ended up sneezing against Inuyasha's hand, causing the boy to stick out his tongue and shudder at the gross act. Totosai then gave a muffled reply, to which Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked back down at their hunters. It seemed they hadn't heard the commotion, and looked like they were passing on by.

Inuyasha sighed in agitation and released the old man from his grasp as the mob of slowly moved along below them, wiping his hand on his pants in disgust.

"You owe me, BIG TIME. And next time, I AIN'T savin' your ass again, you hear me?" He whispered harshly.

"Pft, you young whipper snappers are so entitled! When are you going to learn to respect your elders?! Back in my day…"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and let the old man drone on.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

A/N: Inspiration for this first chapter came from the account of Hamilton saving loyalist, King's College president Myles Cooper from being tortured by a mob of revolutionaries. I thought that'd be good for introducing the energy of the story, as well as Inuyasha and Totosai's characters and dynamic with each other!

PS: If you haven't listened to the soundtrack yet, please do! It's worth it!


	2. Chapter 2

Around 6 AM, Inuyasha found himself dragging his tired, wet, banged up, scratched and bruised mass of muscles and limbs up the wooden steps of the weapon artisan's shop where he was lodging. The door slowly creaked open, and Inuyasha's eyes zeroed in on the blob that was hidden under comforters of the top bunk in their sleeping quarters. The covers shifted to reveal a shirtless man with short black hair loose from its ponytail and sleepy eyes. He squinted,

"Inuyasha? Are you just now getting in?" The voice was heavy with sleep as the man cast his violet eyes to the suns rays peeking through the sheer curtains of the window.

Silence as the half-demon heavily padded across the room, dragging himself over to the chest in the corner of the room that held his clothes.

Inuyasha hadn't come away from the night unscathed. It turns out, the demons had found the duo after all and began pelting them with rocks, spears, and their own unique attacks. Inuyasha managed to launch himself and Totosai off of the cliff, but he had gotten the worst of their onslaught and landed in a nearby river. After that, the mob had clamored on top of him and managed to rough him up quite a bit.

He was sporting bruises, claw marks, and burn marks.

Yet somehow, Totosai had managed to get away in the midst of the commotion with barely a scratch. Inuyasha figured maybe he had made a decent enough diversion for the old man, but wondered if it had been worth it.

Apparently, while they could've killed Inuyasha, they just wanted to use him to send a message to old man. But Inuyasha had encountered tougher demons before, so it ended up as more of an annoyance than anything.

The other occupant in the room snickered.

"Your little training date with Totosai must've gone reaaaal well. You look pretty as portrait; trying to make the ladies envious?" the voice said, laced in that snarky, joking attitude the half-demon had come to expect from his jackass of a best friend.

"Oh yeah, I had a fuckin', blast," Inuyasha deadpanned in reply.

"Aw…sweetheart. Rough day? To be honest, I'm jealous that you had so much fun without me," his bunkmate said cheekily. Inuyasha shot him a snide smirk.

"Now, now, Miroku. If you didn't want to share me, you know you should've put a ring on it a long time ago," he said, holding up his middle finger to get his point across. The other man, laughed and threw a pillow at Inuyasha's head.

"Seriously, I'm in a pretty shitty mood. Totosai is working my last nerve."

"Honestly, I don't know why you put up with him…" Miroku said, propping his head up in his hand. Inuyasha sighed,

"Because I'm damn saint, apparently," the half-demon said, still sifting though his wardrobe and tossing about random articles of clothing.

"And he's supposed to be training you? If he's as good a fighter as you say, why doesn't he just defend himself every time the demon rebels come after him instead of making you do it?"

A beat.

Inuyasha had never though of that.

He didn't answer, just growled lowly to himself. _'Cause the geezer is a sadist_ , he thought, angrily.

"Where's Royakan?" He asked instead, changing the subject. Royakan was an enormous bundle of sharp teeth and fur that was a wolf-demon with huge blue eyes. He was actually kind for such a scary looking creature, but was also a force to be reckoned with in a fight. The boys were staying in the attic of his artisan's shop. He was an apprentice and primarily dealt in forging weapons and armor for soldiers.

"He's downstairs already gearing up for the day's customers. So, you know, we should probably keep it low-key up here for a while. My seminars aren't until later this afternoon so…" Miroku let the sentence hang, clearly indicating that he hadn't really planned on getting up anytime soon himself. By that same token, he figured that Inuyasha would finally crash and allow himself to get some well-deserved, overdue sleep.

Silence.

During this exchange, Inuyasha had made work of shedding his long johns (yes, the night's excursion had taken place in his pajamas), in place of putting on some slacks, button up shirt, and a jacket. He did this unabashedly in front of his comrade. Nights of skinny dipping with some of the frat boys from the tavern when they had been drunk off their asses before had left nothing to the imagination anymore.

Miroku narrowed his eyes.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing? You're going right back out there? You haven't gotten any sleep for weeks." He watched incredulously as the half demon began working on his tie in the mirror, ignoring the dark circles under his eyes.

"Well…some new pamphlets should be hitting the stands today. If I can get a grasp on the society's current frame of mind, it'll be good reference fodder in my essay for my application."

"You won't be able to write your essay if your brain is shot…which, while I know is normal for you, is still not a good thing, my brother."

"Look, I just don't have time to sleep. After going into town, I've gotta get back here to work on my piece, then study. Getting into Kings College is crucial, but that ain't gonna happen if the essay is shit."

"Alright well, I'm at least coming with you to make sure you don't get yourself murdered mistaking a Narakonian for a rebel in your sleep-induced haze."

"Hah-hah…you're a riot."

"I'm actually serious," Miroku said, throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed himself. He was clad in his boxers. Inuyasha shrugged.

"Fine, I'll wait for you in the back alley," he said, trying to blink away his exhaustion and focus his eyes so he didn't trip down the stairs. To be honest, he felt like the wires in his brain weren't connected and that his consciousness was in limbo, but he'd functioned off of worse before.

It wasn't that he didn't have better endurance than humans. He actually typically didn't get tired that easily. But he had been staying with Royakan for about a month now and in that time had been working diligently on his rigorous application to King's College. That meant being kept abreast on everything that was happening with the war and every political move, while simultaneously maintaining his late-night training regimens with Totosai, which happened every other night.

Needless to say, that kind of schedule took a toll on even him.

Miroku was also staying with Royakan, but he was just visiting for a couple of months and taking classes to earn credit and give him the knowledge he'd need to become an Aide De Camp in the war. Miroku was a soldier (who, interestingly enough, also practiced Buddhism); their friend and host Royakan, for his part, was part of an underground spy ring that gathered information on the Narakonians to forward to rebel soldiers in the war.  
It was because Royokan frequently had Narakonians as customers that the boys often had to use the back entrance while they were lodging in the attic of Royakan's shop to reduce the chance of them being discovered.

Inuyasha hadn't made efforts to sign up and enlist like his friends yet…but he wanted too.

He wanted to make a difference in this revolution.

It was weird time, one where the colonists had to share the streets with their enemies, even as they went about their daily lives. Everyone was always on edge, but Inuyasha could tell that everything was boiling to a tipping point…and it was all going to explode very soon.

He wanted on the front lines when it happened.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so while Hamilton/Lauren's relationship wasn't prominent in the play, I wanted to at least reference their chemistry somehow; it's only right. So Miroku and Inu have a somewhat flirty bromance going on in this story (Inu is too dense to pick up cues that it's more than just a game to Miroku, poor guy). But at the same time, I also want to acknowledge Miroku and Sango's relationship from the show. So yes, taking ALL of this into account it will get VERY angsty later (no spoilers)!

I will admit it was VERY fun to write these two while working on this story! I had a blast with their banter!

And yes, the 'Put a ring on it' reference was intentional!

In case you can't tell, in this chapter we have:

Inuyasha-Alexander Hamilton  
Totosai- Myles Cooper  
Miroku- John Laurens  
Royakan- Herculese Mulligan  
Naraku- King George III


	3. Chapter 3

_A small, six-year-old, half-demon boy shifted to make himself more comfortable in his mother's lap, turning to press his left cheek against her chest and closing his eyes at the feel of her warmth. He found himself practically drowning in the long sleeves of the kimono that hung from her wrists as she embraced him, and he brought one hand up to curl up next to his face._

 _He pulled back a bit and beamed at her,_

 _"Okaa-san, I can hear your heart beating!"_

 _"Can you now? Is it strong and steady like yours?" she asked, softly. He nodded eagerly,_

 _"Mmh! Loud and strong!" he said, bearing a grin that showed he'd recently lost a couple of his teeth. The older woman then placed her right palm against the back of his head, cuddling him to her chest once more._

 _"I'm glad then!" she giggled. Inuyasha closed his eyes and found his right ear twitching at the sounds of the night around them—owls were calling and the cicadas were especially loud during this time of year._

 _They were sitting on the steps of their home, a small Japanese cabin located fairly deep within the woods. While the location wasn't personally ideal for Izaiyoi, the boy's mother, it gave them distance that put the neighboring villagers at ease and was a relatively safe location for her and her son._

 _It was just the two of them and on nights like this, Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder…_

 _"Okaa-san, will…will you tell me about otou-san? W-where is he? …What's he like? When is he coming back?" his voice was a squeak, as he knew this was a sensitive topic for his mother. But he'd never known his father. His mother brought one hand up to gently stroke Inuyasha's head before softly rubbing a sweet spot at the base of his ear that always relaxed him._

 _"Well, he is….very strong. Courageous and loyal. He also has a wrath that's a force to be reckoned with if his enemies irked him. A warrior, and he loves us dearly. But….he's fighting in a… very dangerous…battle now so, it's not safe for us to be with him. He has promised to come for us when things settle down so that we can be a family again," she said…though she'd told her son this story so many times over the years it was starting to sound less and less truthful to even her own ears. And for every time she told her son about his father…_

 _ **she never told him his name.**_

 _"Inuyasha, listen to me." Izaiyoi took her child lightly by the torso and pulled him away from her, just a bit._

 _"You…are, smart, strong, brave, and full of so, so much love. So much…greatness lies in you," her voice wavered. "Not because of your father but…because of your heart," she placed her palm against his chest and smiled, despite the tears welling up in her eyes. "I know…you'll go on to do amazing things. If nothing else, promise me, you'll remember one thing: your word, is your bond. It determines how people respect you, and how far you'll go in life. If you don't have your word, you have nothing. You understand me? And never forget the power that you have here and here" she said, lightly tapping his head and his heart respectively._

 _He blinked up at her and nodded,_

 _"Y-yes okaa-san…mama. I promise," he said, reaching up to gently wipe the tears away from her eyes._

 _"D-don't cry. I promise. I'm gonna make you proud, mama." he gave her a small smile, which she tried to return, but just ended up wrapping her arms around him tightly. Because she knew…she knew the world wouldn't be kind to him. It would be harsh and cruel when he didn't deserve it—simply because he was a hanyou._

 _…A half-breed._

 _A boy without a father, and they wouldn't see him for his potential, but for his lineage._

 _And she cried for him._

* * *

Inuyasha kept the memory of his mother in the forefront of his mind practically every day. It was what made him get out of bed in the morning.

Even now, as he walked down the street with his best friend, the image of her kind eyes and soft smile wrapped around him like a security blanket, enough to steel his resolve against the nasty glares and dirty looks that were cast their way…well…more his way than Miroku's.

Even though everyone was under the rule of Naraku and his lackeys, there was an understanding that humans and demons really didn't like or trust each other. Demons thought humans were weak, humans thought demons were barbaric, and both ostracized those who were of mixed blood.

Because of that, the greatest fears of Inuyasha's mother had come to fruition, and were more than prevalent in his every day life. He couldn't ignore them, nor could he will away his bloodline. So he focused on carrying himself with his intellect, his skill—his deadliest weapon.

The truth was, he was damn smart, both academically and street-wise, And no one ever saw it coming because they always underestimated him.

He kept that fact close to the vest, and had very few friends he could trust for it, Miroku and Royakan being two.

At present, he and Miroku made their way to one of the news stands in a general store, Inuyasha's expression giving off an air of nonchalance as he flipped through the latest publications (really he was just drained and had to blink constantly to keep the letters from blurring on the page). He tried to ignore the heated whispers and pointed glares, but his ears were burning and twitched atop his head as he heard every word—every dirty phrase in the book that they could say about a half-breed.

He knew they were just waiting for him to make a move. He told himself not to give them a reason, but mentally began counting down, wondering when one of the clerks would be brave enough to approach and kick him out. Of course, having Miroku with him did help. If Miroku didn't see him as a threat, that worked in his favor.

Miroku was next to him, idly people watching, when a scene caught his attention enough to raise an eyebrow. He smirked,

"Yo, Inuyasha. Check out the new merchandise," he said, nudging his friend in the side with his elbow. Inuyasha blearily looked up and blinked. Across the street was a skinny young man with short, sandy brown hair pulled up high who, Inuyasha immediately decided, the half-demon could easily knock over with a puff of air. He was dressed in dark black robes, (Great, another member of Naraku's fan club Inuyasha noted sourly), and was standing on a soap box waving his arms around and shouting at the top of his lungs to draw in the attention of the crowd.

"HEAR YE, HEAR YE! My name is Akitoki Hojo, and today, I present to you free thoughts on the proceedings of the Continental Congress, the body of rule that has claimed to protect us, but instead has betrayed our people and our heritage by rebelling against the crown! Lend me your ears, and I shall speak of our merciful ruler, Lord Naraku, and his stable, systematic rule of government!"

"Merciful? What, has he been under a rock?" Inuyasha muttered, furrowing his eyebrows.

The boy across the street cleared his throat and took a deep breath,

"Heed not the rabble who scream, 'REVOLUTION!' They have not your interest at heart! Chaos and bloodshed are not a solution, don't let them lead you astray!" He cried. The two boys winced, their irritation growing steady.

"Inuyasha."

"No."

"C'mon, you gotta rip into this guy. Tear him a new one."

"Look, if he wants his ass kicked by half the town, let him go right ahead. I stuck my neck out for Totosai yesterday, I ain't exactly up to redoing that dance," the half demon said, flipping the pages of his book. His ears twitched as Akitoki continued and he had to grit his teeth.

Now, Inuyasha wasn't one to turn down helping people in need (though if you asked him, he'd deny it six-ways-to Sunday). However, that didn't mean he wasn't also prone to snapping and get into heated arguments that were more trouble than they were worth with the very same people whose lives he would save.

In other words…just because he disagreed with someone didn't mean he wanted them dead.

Case in point: the previous night, the situation with Totosai was on the cusp of turning lethal. While the old demon was entitled to his favorable opinion of the crown, twisted though it may be, that demon mob was vying for old man's head on stake, and Inuyasha couldn't live with himself if he'd let that happen.

To the contrary, this human kid, was in a relatively safe space. The town soap box specifically was for people to voice their dissent, or consent, of the current state of society, and the crowds were generally receptive…on a good day. Today, Inuyasha noted most of the crowd was human with a few half-demons and higher-society demons peppered throughout. Inuyasha doubted they'd do anything.

IF the crowd DID turn violent, Inuyasha would, reluctantly, be ready to save the kid's ass. But that didn't mean he had to like or agree with him. He actually could throw verbal barbs as well as the next guy, if not better, and he usually reveled in such opportunities.

For now, he felt like staying out of it. …But the kid was definitely pushing his buttons as he rambled on.

Miroku shifted beside Inuyasha before he began walking away.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"No way I'm missing out on this train wreck," Miroku said with a snarky grin. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, making his way to the counter and depositing the exact amount of required currency without making eye contact with the cashier.

Five seconds later…

"Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," a voice suddenly said. Inuyasha glanced up to see a burly man, twice his size, standing next to the cashier, who hadn't even finished the transaction yet. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Took them longer than he thought.

"What seems to be the trouble, sir?"

"Your…presence…is making the rest of our customers uncomfortable."

"I haven't done anything. Just paying for my purchases then I'm on my way."

"We'd…rather not take that risk," the main said. "Look, pretending that you can read won't make you any more civil, kid. And you can't even afford to pay for these, anyway. So why don't you just get outta here, huh?" he said. Inuyasha frowned even more.

"That's the exact amount to…"

"Okay. Let me be clear. Your money's not good here." He turned to face Inuyasha fully, "We don't serve your kind here. And we don't appreciate you unnerving our customers. It's simply bad for business," the man said. Inuyasha growled lowly, ears pressing down atop his skull. That was it,

"Fuck your business."

"…Excuse me?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't dare speak like this to a full demon or human and you're refusing me just because I'm half and half? Newflash: My blood's got nothin' to do with my money. Bet if I were rich like the king you'd be licking the under-side of my boot, despite me being a hanyou. Better than the alternative of where I'm about to shove said boot in about two seconds, I'm sure," Inuyasha hissed. The man slammed a fist down on the table.

"Listen here, freak, you're the one running around here with mixed blood. What a shit-show your parents must've been…" the man spat venomously. Inuyasha growled and clenched his fist tightly, raising it to strike until suddenly Miroku was there, putting one hand on his shoulder, the other on his fist, and steering him away gently. Miroku had seen the whole exchange take place from the front of the stand and rushed to intervene when things looked to get heated.

"Eaaasy, Inuyasha, easy. Why don't you step outside and get some air, huh? I'll be right out…"

Inuyasha was breathing heavily, skin heating up as he was itching to rake his claws down this man's face. But he knew he couldn't afford to make a scene. Not now.

Miroku turned to face the store owner as Inuyasha left, quietly paying for the books still on the counter.

"You really should learn to keep that mutt on a leash," the man said.

A beat.

"Sir, my dear friend cannot control his lineage, but your lack of respect toward his person is disgusting and disgraces the exactly what our soldiers are fighting for. Your kind plagues the human race. We're in dire straits as it is, and your demented way of thinking makes you no better than Naraku and his cronies. Of course, I'm sure he'd love bending over for your kind to kiss his ass."

The man grew red,

"N-now see here—!"

"My friend may be a half-demon, but he has more humanity in him than you have in your little toe; you're the one who's an animal. You, sir, are what's wrong with our society. I serve in the war along some of the finest, most elite soldiers, human and demon, and I will be deterring them and their colleagues from your business from now on. Good day," he said, leaving the man flustered.

"O-OI! If they're anything like you and your buddy, we don't want their business anyway! Good riddance!" The man said.

Miroku found Inuyasha pacing fervently a few feet away. He clenched his fist tightly, his claws pressing into the palm of his hand so hard he drew blood.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, handing him the bag of purchases.

"The fuck do you think? He insulted my mother, Miroku! I wanted to rip his vocal chords out and shove'm up his ass!" Inuyasha said, snatching the bag in one hand before flexing his claws in the other.

"He wouldn't have deserved any less my friend…" Miroku said, putting his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder again, in what he hoped was a calming gesture.

Little did he know, Inuyasha had heard Miroku rip into the guy on his behalf and while he was thankful, he was still pissed off.

Miroku looked up to see Akitoki still shouting on the soapbox across the street. He grinned, knowing that inciting Inuyasha into a good verbal spar might help work off some of that anger. He patted the half-demon twice before nodding toward the man on the soap box and moving forward.

"C'mon, let's go hear what this guy is going on about. And it might even help take your mind off…things, eh?" Miroku urged. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself before following suit, arms folded tightly against his chest.

The duo made their way through the crowd—human, demon, and hanyou—to hear more of what else the boy had to say. Akitoki continued,

"This Congress does not speak for me! They're playing a dangerous game!" He cried. Miroku whistled lowly,

"This kid's really asking for it, Inuyasha. Why don't you put him in his place? It always makes for a good show and you know you want too," Miroku whispered, nudging him in the side with his elbow. Inuyasha huffed, bit the inside of his cheek to restrain himself and tightly folded his arms across his chest.

"Do not be drawn in in by their foolish cries, lest it be our downfall, your doom! Obeying Lord Naraku is the only path to salvation. And to those who betray the king, I pray that he shows you his mercy! For shame, for shame!""

That was it.

Maybe he could work off this energy after all.

Inuyasha shoved his bag at Miroku's chest, grinning devilishly.

"Hold my books," he said. Miroku smiled cheekily in return,

"Go get'm, babe. I got your books."


	4. Chapter 4

The young girl tightly grasped her second-oldest sister's arm, the sunshine colored pleats of her skirt swishing swiftly against her legs as she pressed close and tried to keep up with her sibling's gait. She'd never been on this side of town before, and was starting to question her decision to accompany her two big sisters.

"Um…Sango, Kagome, why are we here?"

"Because, this is where the action happens, Rin," her oldest sister, Sango, clad in a hot pink gown replied. Rin frowned,

"But…didn't grandpa say not to go downtown? H-he's gonna get really mad when he finds out!"

"Well, we'll just have to make sure he doesn't find out then, won't we?" Sango side. She winked at woman next to her, who was donned in a soft aqua colored dress and who was closer to her in age than Rin. The woman, aka Kagome, muffled a giggle behind her hand. The younger girl clinging to her arm frowned, puffing our her cheeks in irritation.

"You guys are gonna get us in BIIIG trouble!"

"Hey, you're the one who said you were old enough to come with us into town. But if you don't think ready yet, by all means-!" Sango said, letting the meaning hang on air. "No one's keeping you here, Rin!" she said. Kagome, at 15-years-old, used her elbow to gently nudge her 17-year-old sibling, chiding her gently.

"C'mon now Sango, be nice!" She said, before turning to Rin, who was 13, "Rin, I'll be more than happy to take you home if you don't want to be here" The younger girl's eyes grew wide.

"N-NO! I-I mean…it's not that. It's just—" she 'eeped' and jumped as a quartet of men practically barreled past them, roughly pushing the girls out of the way. Rin frowned,

"It's just, everyone's so frantic and hot-headed and mean nowadays! A-and it's a little scary. The Narakonians are here, they watch us all the time. But they say that more are coming, and grandpa wants to enlist in the war again to take them on! He's way too old for that, what if he gets seriously hurt?!" Rin said, tightening her grip on Kagome's arm in worry as she found herself lost in thought. Kagome gave the younger girl's hand a warm squeeze before looking around herself.

The voices around them were rambunctious, as it was every day she and Sango went into town. People were shouting everywhere, some just in heated debates, others breaking out into rumbles and scuffles in the street and still screaming at the top of their lungs to get people to read their published opinions. Rin was right, there was a frenzy of energy in the air…one Kagome found exciting but also anxious…unlike their oldest sister, Sango, who was positively enthralled by and reveled in the spirit pulsing through the city.

Said woman abruptly made a quick pivot on the balls of her feet to face her two sisters, hands on her hips as she stood with all the air of confidence beaming from her person.

"Ladies, you've gotta look at it with a different eye. We're on the brink of something historic and renowned here, unprecedented! You feel that buzz?! That's the result of people pouring new ideas into the atmosphere, the very crux and foundation of what will be the backbone of our new nation! And, it opens the door for us to make sure that women are acknowledge for their prominent role too!" She grasped their hands and pulled them in close. "We're lucky to be alive right now…this is OUR time!"

Rin pouted and frowned at how idealistic and ambitious her sister sounded.

"IIII dunno…I don't like the fact that so many people are leaving their families and giving up their lives for it," Rin said. It was Sango's turn to pout. Kagome held her hands up to soothe them both before squatting down to their younger sister's level.

"Well…sometimes you have to go through a hurricane before you can get to the rainbow, Rin. That just makes it all the more worth it in the end." She said, brushing back a strand of the girl's bangs and cupping her face. She continued, "You're right, it is a little…unnerving… But we shouldn't just let this pass us by, either."

Rin shrugged and shrunk into herself.

"I still don't like it," she mumbled quietly. Sango rolled her eyes,

"Tch. You big baby. You're such a party pooper!" She said, rubbing Rin's head and messing up her hair before turning back on her heels and strutting forward with her hands on her hips.

Her two sisters closely followed suit as Sango made her way from person to person, picking up pamphlets and getting into heated debates of her own…or…at least trying to. To her dismay, she found that most men shut her down not more than 5 second into her rant and proceeded to patronize her, but she wasn't surprised.

"You girls shouldn't worry your pretty little heads about this stuff. Leave politicking to the men. Just go buy some bobbles and thread to mend some clothes, huh?" That was how they responded, which only infuriated Sango more.

It royally pissed her off that men didn't take women seriously. After all, women brought them into this world; held down the home while they were off doing who knows what. Did not they not respect their own mothers? She clenched her fists at her side angrily.

She wasn't going to let them best her.

Meanwhile, Kagome found herself having to fend off both Narakonian and rebel men who were either trying to flirt with her or scare Rin. All in all, it was unsettling, but some of the debates they heard seemed really intense and significant.

Case in point, was the silver-haired young gentleman who was currently going toe-to-toe with a sandy-haired boy on a soap box in the middle of town.

The girls blinked in awe and fascination: Sango at how well he seemed to hold his own and weaponize his wits during the stand off, Kagome at how vibrant he seemed as he took control of the stage, and Rin at how silver his hair was, as well as the adorably twitching puppy-dog ears atop his head. Sango nodded in determination.

"C'mon ladies, I think we found our resident 'Mind at Work'!" She said.

* * *

Akitoki Hojo had been talking for so long, he was starting to sound like a broken record. The boy was so enthusiastic about his message that he didn't even sense Inuyasha sneaking up onto the platform from behind him. The rest of the crowd did, and began murmuring curiously. Who was this half-breed and what made him think he had the right to impede on this kid's soapbox? Miroku bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as Inuyasha made faces behind Akitoki while he droned on and on.

"Heed my words! Those who betray the crown will have to face Naraku's wrath!"

"UGH! Alriiiiiight kid, that's enough for one day! I think you've bored everyone to death so much with your voice that their ears are bleeding," Inuyasha said, reaching over Akitoki's head and yanking the piece of paper he was reading from his hands. "And you need notes to get your point across? How can you even read this? It's chicken scratch!" Inuyasha said, causing Akitoki to suddenly let out a squeak as he jumped, startled. He turned to face his new…companion.

"E-excuse, me?"

"Your act is stale! You're telling these people they don't deserve the right to basic freedoms like freedom of choice! Freedom of liberty! Freedom of destiny! Instead they should listen to some behemoth of a boogeyman or else they'll be doomed for eternity?!"

"Why, I never!"

"Well now you have!" Inuyasha smirked. Akitoki growled.

"Begone, sir!" Akitoki said, reaching out and jumping up, trying to reach and snatch his paper back. Inuyasha held the sheet over his head tauntingly. "Oh! This is quite rude and obnoxious, even by gentleman's standards!" Akitoki shouted.

"What a coincidence, Rude and Obnoxious are my middle names, and I ain't no gentleman!" Inuyasha said, a fang poking out as he gave Akitoki a mischievous grin. Akitoki grit his teeth and somehow managed to grab his paper. He then tried to ignore Inuyasha, and cleared his throat, turning back to the crowd,

"Heed not the rabble!" At this, he pointed at Inuyasha, "Who scream, 'REVOLUTION!' They have not your interest at heart!" Inuyasha growled and rolled up his sleeves as he began talking over Akitoki. Two could play this game,

"Alright, look! He'd have you all unravel at the sound of screams but the revolution is coming! But the Havenots are gonna win this!" He then turned to Akitoki, "And it's hard to listen to you with a straight face!" he shot back. His opponent started to flush red in anger and embarrassment and they'd barely gotten started. Akitoki cleared his throat,

"Chaos and bloodshed are not a solution—"

"Chaos and bloodshed already haunt us! HONESTLY! You shouldn't even talk!"

"Don't let them lead you astray!"

"Look at the cost of all that we've lost—"

"This Congress does not speak for me—"

" …..and you talk about Congress?! My dog speaks more eloquently than—"

"They're playing a dangerous game!"

"But strangely your mange is the same!" Inuyasha mocked in a poshy voice; he was just throwing out insults now. At this, some members of the crowd were laughing at enjoying the show while others looked on disdainfully at how immature this half-breed runt seemed to be. Someone needed to put him in his place!

"I pray the king shows you his mercy!" Akitoki was screaming now. Inuyasha, for a second, went quiet, making Akitoki think he'd stumped him. But the half-demon just scratched his head.

"Wait…i-is he in Jersey?!" Inuyasha then made a show of scanning the crowd for his royal highness. "Or is he too chicken to show his face? 'Cause he sure as hell ain't here!"

The audience 'Ooohhed' and Inuyasha heard Miroku 'woof' at his verbal jab. At this and Akitoki let out a cry of frustration, "FOR SHAME!" But Inuyasha continued over him,

"Look, if you repeat yourself again I'm gonna scream! And stop reading from your damn paper! Your argument is weak and redundant! There's nothing in it for us to remain under the enslavement of this…this…fucking monster! Who cares if he's royalty! That doesn't give him the right to treat us like crap!" He said, advancing on Akitoki who, at this point, had drawn into himself and was trying to back away from Inuyasha as much as possible. The crowd 'oooh'd' and Inuyasha continued,

"Why should a tiny island across the sea regulate the price of tea?! Why should it regulate anything for us?! We can do for ourselves! The crown shits on us daily, taxes us relentlessly and our precious 'King Naraku' basks in our suffering and our money! Why would we just lay down and take it?! We should fight back!" He said, causing quite a few people to clap and cry out in agreement and cheer for what he was saying.

"FOR THE REVOLUTION!" he cried, punching the air.

"FOR THE REVOLUTION!" some shouted back.

However, the half-demon didn't get to spout out much more, as he felt something yank him back the back his collar and sling him backwards until he was flying off of the platform he'd been standing on.

He hit the ground with a thud and groaned, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation in his back and side. The audience around him jolted, parting at the sudden move that happened too quickly for anyone to see, and bodies began shuffling around him in confusion. When Inuyasha opened his eyes, he was met with a golden pair similar to his own that he'd hoped he wouldn't see again for a while yet,

"D-damn it, Sesshomaru! What the—?" He groaned, lowly. 

* * *

A/N: Last chapter, we added:

Akitoki Hojo: Samuel Seabury

This chapter, introducing: THE HIGURASHI/SCHUYLER SISTERS!

Sango: Angelica

Kagome: Eliza

Rin: AND PEGGY!

Plus, with a little bit of 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'Farmer Refuted' lyrics thrown in!

I know it's a little short, but I wanted to cap it with Sesshomaru's intro. So enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

"D-damn it, Sesshomaru! What the—?"

"That mouth of your is going to get you into more trouble than you're worth. Or are you so thick-headed you've forgotten what I told you? The enemy is _always_ watching."

"Ugh…" he groaned, "Yeah…sorry, that whole stoic 'I've got a stump up my ass' routine doesn't look good on me. Works wonders for you though," he rubbed his head as he slowly tried to sit up and attempted to push down how much his muscles screamed in protest, especially since he was still a bit under strain from his excursion the previous night.

Inuyasha had met Sesshomaru during his second week in New York. He'd heard rumors about the demon who was so accomplished, he'd graduated from Princeton in two years and went on to enlist in the war. Inuyasha had sought him out, which wasn't that hard to do, with hopes that Sesshomaru could be somewhat of a mentor.

He ended up being more of a nuisance.

 _"Talk less…and don't let them know what you're against or what your for. Running your mouth will make you an easy target around here, and they can kill you in an instant. If you want to survive, keep it low key and play it close to the vest."_ That had been his advice.

Not much help for someone as free-spirited and eager as our half-demon.

The older man frowned,

"You were getting so full of yourself, you failed to notice _who, exactly,_ was eyeing you…" Sesshomaru said.

"Yeah? Well, I could've handled…whoever it was…on my own!" The boy replied. Sesshomaru grunted.

It wasn't long before Miroku was at Inuyasha's side, having pushed is way through the crowd.

"Inuyasha! Hey, are you alright? That was a nasty tumble," He helped him sit up.

"Yeah, yeah, no thanks to this prick. He's going on about the enemy's eyes. They're everywhere! There always everywhere! Everyone knows that!"

"I don't think he meant the enemy's typical eyes, my friend," Miroku said, tilting his head to the side and nodding upward. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and glanced up, noticing three enormous insects buzzing and hovering above their heads for the first time.

Bugs. ….no, more like bees. Inuyasha frowned.

"Well, that's new. What the hell are they?"

"Maybe our dear Princeton prodigy can tell us." Miroku said, referencing Sesshomaru. The older demon frowned.

A beat.

"Not here," he said lowly. With that, he turned and began pushing his way through the crowd, which was still in a bit of muddled confusion. Inuyasha being yanked from the stage had caused a ruckus, and Akitoki had high-tailed it out of there as soon as the coast was clear. Our trio made use of the distraction and pushed through the sweaty bodies as a cover to keep the bees from seeing them. …Though this didn't quite hide them from others who wanted to seek them out.

—

"Hurry up! Kagome, Rin, they went this way! I saw them!"

"Why are we chasing after them?! I'm ready to go home!"

"You saw that guy up there, Rin! I want to talk to him!"

"Sango, he could be anywhere by now! E-excuse me, pardon us!" Kagome cried, as they tried to push through the huddled masses from the back of the crowd.

"Ye of little faith, sisters! He couldn't have gotten far! Just look for a pair of puppy dog ears on top of a head of silver hair! He should stick out like a sore thumb!" Sango said. Kagome felt a tinge of flush rise to her cheeks. Those ears weren't the only thing that had looked good on him. She actually wouldn't mind seeing him…. _up close._

—

Meanwhile, the trio of men had ducked into a nearby back alley to hide themselves, where they wouldn't been seen or heard by any prying eyes or ears. Sesshomaru steeled the two men before him with a glare.

"The Saimyosho, first started showing up around here about three days ago. We don't know why, but we suspect Naraku eventually intends to use them to spy on our troops on the battlefield, and that he's using them to keep vigil over civilians as a test run."

"Tch. You say that like you've seen him," Inuyasha's brows furrowed. Sesshomaru frowned.

"Inuyasha, one cannot battle an nonexistent enemy, or an enemy one does not believe in," he squared up against the younger hanyou, "Wanting to be part of a cause isn't enough if you don't take it seriously. Of course he exists. It's _asinine_ to think otherwise." Inuyasha's ears pressed back at the condescending tone in Sesshomarus's voice.

"You callin' me an ass?" Inuyasha growled. Miroku extended his hand to hold Inuyasha back.

"Now, now, let's calm down. So…ah…the Saimyosho, Sesshomaru? You've been tasked to track them I assume?"

"At General Taisho's direct orders." Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha's ears did an about face, shooting straight up and twitching at this and Miroku's own countenance turned serious.

"General Taisho?"

"THE General Taisho? W-where is he?" Inuyasha asked, his voice ridden with impatience.

"That information is classified."

"So…?"

"As in, it's on a need to know basis. And you don't need to know," Sesshomaru said. He then caught the distinct sound of loud buzzing and peaked out of the alleyway.

"In any case, you need to keep your guards up and not do or say anything to give the enemy an advantage. ….Though, that may be too much to expect of you, half-breed," he said, cutting his eyes around to Inuyasha. With that, he swiftly turned and exited the alleyway, blending in with the crowd.

Inuyasha growled before poking his head out and stared after the older demon.

A beat.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Tell Royokan I'll be making it back in late."

"Again? W-wait, where are you off too ,now?"

"Where else?" He turned and gave his friend a smirk, "Can't be late for my meeting with General Taisho now, can I? That's not a good look. After all, that'd be reeeally irresponsible of me. Especially by Lord Asshat's standards," he said, nodding in Sesshomaru's direction.

"Inuyasha…"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You guys don't wait up," he said before also blending into the crowd. Miroku took a deep breath and let out an exasperated sigh. Sometimes he felt more like Inuyasha's babysitter than his best friend, and he was honestly worried that his thick-headed comrade was overdoing it. But, he knew when to keep his distance. He waited a moment more before stepping out into the crowd himself, but to walk in the opposite direction.

That was when he crashed right into another body.

"Oh! Pardon me, Miss. Are you alright?" Miroku gently gripped the upper arms of the woman who had bumped into him and held her out at arms length. He blinked in surprise before a slow grin spread across his face.

"Ah! Well, well, well. Miss Sango Higurashi, it's been a while…"

"Huh?" The woman in question was re-adjusting from being jostled and suddenly found herself looking up into two violet eyes. She scrunched up her nose.

"Miroku."

"Aw, c'mon. What's with that face?! I haven't even done anything!"

"Yet. Release me before that cursed hand of yours starts wandering on its own again!" She said, prying away from his grip. His hands had a tendency to wander to the rear of any woman he got his hands on. He claimed it was a reflex, but Sango knew better. He held his palms up in mock surrender.

"And where are your partners in crime?" He asked, just as Kagome and Rin came rushing up, panting beside her.

"Ah, the Higurashi Sisters! Fully present and accounted for! Where are you ladies rushing off to in such a hurry?" He asked, noting that Kagome and Rin were out of breath.

"W-we were chasing a silver-haired man in the crowd, but I think we lost him!" Rin said.

"Silver hair….hmm you mean Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked.

"No, this was…someone else. Had dog ears on his head?" Kagome brought her free hand up to the side of her head, bending her fingers to mimic a flopping puppy dog's ear. Miroku looked up as if he were in deep thought trying to recall if he'd seen who they were talking about. Though he knew exactly whom they were looking for, he thought it best to keep Inuyasha's cover for now.

"He was going head-to-head with that other young lad, debating why we deserve to be independent of the crown! C'mon, everyone saw him!" Sango said!

"Sounds like you're chasing ideals again. Cute. But surely you'd rather chase me instead?" Miroku said, reaching out to take one of Sango's hands and kissing the back of it.

"Well, you think quite highly of yourself, don't you?" Sango deadpanned.

"Anyway, I'm sure I haven't seen your little friend. But I willing to bet I could satisfy you just as much as he could, if not more…" Miroku said, leaning in until he was nose to nose with the young woman.

"Miroku, you disgust me." Sango hissed, yanking her hand away and shoving him back.

"Ah, so you've discussed me…" he said with a wink, causing Rin to giggle despite herself. Sango shot her younger sister a look, causing her to clear her throat and straighten her posture.

"Women, are not vessels for your entertainment," Sango said.

"I never said you were," Miroku said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He continued, "but a revolution is on the horizon, Miss Sango. I'd hate for three lovely ladies, such as yourselves, to get caught up in the chaotic mess that will derive from it. You're much too delicate and precious to get involved in such things, I'm sure you're aware."

"While we appreciate your concern, Miroku, we can handle ourselves just fine. Our father has taught us well, after all. And our grandfather, as you know," Kagome said, placing a hand on her older sister's shoulder to calm her.

"That I am Miss Kagome. And though you're well-trained, I'm certain I speak for them in saying even they would want to keep you ladies as far away from this shit-storm that's brewing as possible," Miroku put his hands in his pockets.

"It's coming whether we like it or not, and we refuse to stand idle and do nothing. Everyone's talking about a revolution, take note of this revelation: Women are just as capable and wise, if not more so then men!" Sango cried.

"Do tell," Miroku said, setting her with a nonchalant stare. This set Sango seething. She began poking him in the chest roughly.

"Just you wait. The next time the Wolf Demon Tribe endorses their heir to publish Part II of his renowned Declaration, women are going to have a prominent voice in it. I'll personally see to it! Which is more than I can say for the likes of self-entitled scumbags like you!"

"Sango!" Kagome chided. Miroku's eyes grew wide and he placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"You wound me Sango, truly! I have nothing but the utmost respect for women. It's not my fault that society thinks otherwise, I am but one man."

"A single man can often be the driving force to make a difference. I'm sure the man with the silver hair can tell you as such. You could learn a thing or two from him!" she said, walking past Miroku and flipping her hair in his face as she passed, silently beckoning her sisters to follow her. Kagome sighed, turning to Miroku and bowing her head.

"You have to excuse her. …You…know how she can be."

"Not at all Miss Kagome. She wouldn't be the Sango we know and love so well if she wasn't herself. No need to apologize. I'd be offended if she wasn't herself."

"She thinks one voice change the world!" Rin huffed, folding her arms before speed walking after her sister. Kagome bowed to Miroku again in apology before following suit. He stared after the three women.

"She thinks one voice can change the world huh?" He thought this as he watched the aggressive swing of her Sango's pony tail match her stride. He smiled to himself.

"She may well be right…" he thought, reflexively tightening his grip on Inuyasha's bag of books as he turned and making his way back into town.

* * *

A/N: Pardon me, but that Aaaron Burr, Sir?

Lol! Yes, Lord Fluffy Pants is our Mr. Burr!


	6. Chapter 6

Thirty minutes later found Inuyasha still trailing Sesshomaru. He tried to put as much between them as possible by mixing in with a throng of humans, demons, and half demons, hoping that Sesshomaru wouldn't pick up on his scent. So far, it looked like the demon elite hadn't noticed he was being followed, or if he did notice he didn't show it. Regardless, Inuyasha kept low.

" _Man, where the hell is he going? Feels like we've been walking forever,_ " he thought to himself.

Of course, Sesshomaru made a few stops here and there. At one location he bought a copy of the daily paper, at another he got a shoe shine. At another he actually conversed with a few other elite demons, and at one location he even stopped to buy himself a hat. Inuyasha was beginning to think that trailing the jackass was a just a huge waste of time.

That thought didn't last long though.

Eventually, Sesshomaru subtly slipped into another alley; Inuyasha almost missed him.

 _"Hmm…where are you off too…?"_ He thought to himself. Was the alley a shortcut? Inuyasha slipped into the same space and was surprised to find it led to a street of residential houses on the other side instead of more stores.

 _"Homes? A house party?"_ He thought to himself. The crowd strolling these streets was thinner, so Inuyasha didn't have as much cover as before. The half-demon held his ground, peeking out around the corner to see just how far down Sesshomaru would move.

Eight houses and another back alley later, he was gone. Inuyasha frowned and quickly made his way to the opposite sidewalk, speed-walking as not to lose track of what little he could smell of Sesshomaru's scent.

It didn't last long. As soon as he turned down the same path, he found himself slammed into a brick wall and held there by a strong force almost crushing his windpipe.

"The hell do you think you're doin', half-breed? Did you really think I couldn't tell were following me?!" Sesshomaru hissed.

"Gah! D-damn it, Sesshomaru! L-let me go!" Inuyasha whispered breathless, clawing in being at the hand tightening around his throat.

"This isn't a game, Inuyasha. You need to leave. Now."

"A-and if I don't?!" Inuyasha coughed and gasped, gritting his teeth as he tried to loosen the older demon's grip around his neck with no success. Sesshomaru frowned even more, causing the claws on his free hand to glow an eerily green color.

"I'm not giving you a choice, moron," he said, pulling his arm back. He didn't have much time to make good on his threat,

"OI! Sesshomaru. ….What are you doing, that's no way to treat a guest. Let him go," a voice said. Sesshomaru growled, turning to face the new company; but Inuyasha couldn't see the newcomer due to his .…

"He's not a guest, sir. He's nosy troublemaker who needs to mind his place and not go snooping where he doesn't belong."

"Regardless, he seems harmless. Release him, and bring him inside," the man said. _"Besides, perhaps we can probably use him."_ Inuyasha's ears twitched and he grinned at Sesshomaru.

"Y-you heard the man. Let me go!" Sesshomaru grit his teeth,

"This doesn't mean anything. You will keep your mouth shut. Not ask questions. Avoid eye contact, and don't speak unless spoken to," he said, releasing the half-demon and letting him drop to the ground with a thud. Inuyasha groaned and rubbed his neck.

"Jeeze, you've got some serious anger management issues to work out," he mumbled. "What's the big idea anyway? Why are you trying to keep everything a secret?!"

"It still has't sunk in that thick skull of yours has it? The more you know, the more susceptible you are to our enemies. Whatever you see beyond those doors, you can't tell any one about. We're in the middle of a damn war, and we need to keep everything as fucking discrete as possible. You are a liability, since that's…obviously…not your strong suit."

"I resent that!"

"Just keep your mouth shut and follow my lead," Sesshomaru said, turning and walking towards the entrance. "I have no idea what the general would want with you. Anyone else, he would've commanded their throat slit on sight." Ah! So the general _was_ there!

"Huh, that must make me special then. Jealous?" He asked. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"Don't breathe too much into this. I'm sure he has his reasons."

The two made their way up the stairs and through the double door entrance of a small townhouse. It was, indeed, a residence, just as Inuyasha thought. He wondered who lived there.

Inuyasha found himself walking past the sitting room and right into the dining room, where quite a few distinguished gentlemen, demon and human, were seated at a long table and being served dishes by ladies in waiting. Curiously enough, Sesshomaru didn't stop there. He kept moving toward a back room, what appeared to be a study, where a tall man was seated and, head bowed over paperwork, what appeared to be a small fox kit demon, was perched next to him upon the desk.

The scene, of course, only confused Inuyasha even more.

The man wore his long, silvery hair up in a high pony tail, and was dressed in a clean cut tux, suitable for the occasion in the other room. He looked up, and Inuyasha noticed two discernible streaks of purple across each cheek bone. Also, pointed ears, long claws, and the scent was unmistakable. He was a full fledged dog-demon.

"Sesshomaru, have a seat. And who is our guest? Pull a seat for him as well. Welcome lad."

"General Taisho, sir. This is Inuyasha, sir. An…." he paused and twisted his lips, "erm…ahem, acquaintance." Inuyasha's ears perked straight and he immediately stiffened up, standing straight as the man before them made eye contact, piercing him with golden irises that eerily reminded him of his own. Maybe not as much of a rare trait as he thought? Or perhaps it was common among dog demons.

This.

This was the general.

The legendary leader of the rebellion forces that everyone was counting on to guide them to victory.

The man was broad shouldered, had an air of authority about him that chilled those in his presence without him even trying. Inuyasha swallowed the thick lump in his throat.

"Inuyasha. What brings you to our lovely house party?"

And yet…while strict, his essence was also somewhat amiable? Our half-demon was genuinely befuddled by this energy.

"Ah…w-wait…this..really is a house party, sir?"

"You saw our guests outside, yes?"

"Erm…well…yeah but…" Inuyasha didn't know what he'd been expecting, but this wasn't it.

"What did you think this was, lad?" General Taisho asked, his golden eyes gleaming with what Inuyasha swore was a sort of mirth, though his countenance was serious. The half-demon pouted, chagrined.

"I-…er…don't know exactly. Um…just…" he took a deep breath, "I-it's an honor to be in your presence sir. I…ahem," he was flustered now, "I-I just, didn't want to pass up the opportunity to meet you personally, and to let you know that…if-if there's anything I can do to help with the cause…the rebellion… I'm more than willing to do what I can and then some. I'm driven and a hard worker and I'll stop at nothing to get the job done. I'll be more than happy to provide my services, w-whatever they may be. I don't want to be a bystander."

"Hmm. Well, thank you, son. I appreciate the support Inuyasha. Positives attitudes like yours that result in productivity and diligence can be difficult to find in these times. Many people are all talk and no action. Such bluster only hinders our efforts."

"Sir, if I may. We do have business to attend to and having this…whelp….present will…"

"Will what, Sesshomaru? Are you questioning my orders again? I've yet to dismiss our guest, after all."

…Silence. Sesshomaru steeled the general with a glare,

"Of course not. I'm simply stating, most of our human soldiers are strategists and our demon soldiers are field officers. I just see very little, if any, use for someone like Inuyasha and…"

"Oi! I'll have you know I'm just as good as any human or demon you've got in your ranks!" Inuyasha said, instantly defending himself at the insult.

"You know nothing! You're a reckless idealist chasing some fantasy Illiad, but you have nothing to offer. This isn't a game, Inuyasha. You'd only get in the way and cause trouble," Sesshomaru countered.

"And you know jack shit about me!"

"Gentlemen, please!" General Taisho said. He then turned to face Sesshomaru. "Leave us alone a moment, Sesshomaru."

"Sir?"

"We will discuss our plans later, rest assured, outside of present company," Taisho said. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he scrunched his nose up at the indication of him soon being excluded. Though he supposed he couldn't blame them. Taisho continued, "I'd just like to get to know the boy a bit more is all. Five minutes. Why don't you go discuss and consolidate strategies for our upcoming mission with our guests and report back to me their summary?"

"Sir, you can't seriously be entertaining the notion that…"

"Five minutes." At this, the younger full-blooded dog demon huffed before turning and swiftly making his way out of the room.

"Wooah! I think you broke him! I've never seen anyone turn that red before!" The fox kit at Taisho's desk cried. Inuyasha jumped, a bit startled; he'd forgotten the kid was there.

"Ah…yeah well…" He turned to the general, "With all due respect sir, I don't like people making assumptions about me when they don't know evenme," he said. He then cut his eyes over to the fox kit again, "And…who is…?"

"Ah, my apologies. This is Shippo, one of our most valuable assets and a dear, dear friend of mine. He's almost like a son to me, honestly. His parents passed in one of our battles and we've sort of adopted him into our family. He's been with us ever since."

"Ah…Shippo. Nice to meet you?"

"Mmh! If nothing else, keeping you around will definitely make for good entertainment! I don't think anyone has ever gotten Sesshomaru that mad before!" The kit snickered with folded arms.

"Yeah, guess that's my specialty…" Inuyasha mumbled.

"Still, Sesshomaru's not wrong," Taisho continued.

"Sir?"

"This isn't a game, lad," he fixed Inuyasha with a steady gaze, threading his fingers and leaning forward with his elbows on his desk. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you frankly have no idea what you'd be getting yourself into, and we simply can't afford the risk. You don't have the experience for this, I'm sure, and we need trained, disciplined men. What kind of leader would I be if I just roped in some bystander from off the streets because he said 'pretty, pretty please?'"

"B-but I can learn!"

"I do not have time to teach you."

"So what, I'm not even worth taking a chance on?! It's because I'm a half-breed, isn't it?!" Inuyasha cried.

Shocked silence, where the other two stared at him with wide eyes.

"What….does your being a half demon have to do with anything?" General Taisho asked, raising an eyebrow. Inuyasha gasped and blinked, caught off guard.

…no one had ever dismissed his lineage like that before. He opened his mouth to reply, then shut it, confused. Skeptical.

"Inuyasha," General Taisho stood and came from behind his desk, walking around to the front, "My duty, is to my men. To pull the best out of them, and suppress the worst. I can't afford to teach a blank slate from scratch," he started. Inuyasha bowed his head, bangs covering his eyes.

"And again, with all due respect sir, you don't know me." A pause. "I've been struggling all my life to make something of myself. Just today, I had someone question my intelligence and insult my parents simply because of my background." His ears wiggled subconsciously. He glanced up, glaring daggers at the general. "Practically every fucking day I have to endure people hurling shit at me and discipline myself to get stronger and better. And I fight not just for me, but for other people who can't defend themselves. But I know I can do more. I deserve that chance."

Another pause.

The general frowned at the boy before him. He wasn't blind. He'd send the injuries the boy walked in with, and how drained he was even though he tried to hide it. Yet he was still standing despite whatever hellish excursion he'd just been through.

"Well…you do have quite a way with words. But they are just that, my boy. Words," he folded his arms and leaned back against the desk.

Inuyasha deflated at this.

"Still, I suppose… if you really want to show what you're made of," he glanced over at Shippo. "Shippo, how would you like to keep an eye on him for me?"

"W-WHAT?!" Both boys stuttered.

"Shippo plays a very important role in our cause, and I trust his judgment. If you can protect him, and also prove to him that you're as dependable as you say you are, then who knows? Things could lean in your favor."

"T-this runt?!"

"Oi! Watch how you talk to your superiors!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Weren't you just going on about people underestimating you?! Looks can be deceiving! I do outrank you, you know!" The little kit said, with his hands on his hips. Inuyasha growled and thumped his forehead. Shippo cried out and rubbed the mark with his palm.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"You've got a big mouth for someone who's just a kid! I don't have time to babysit! I've got enough going on as it is!"

"Oh yeah?! Jerk! Take this! Foxfire!" He ignited a blue flame from his fingers and flung it at Inuyasha, lighting his sleeve on fire and causing him to cry out as he frantically tried to pat away the flames. Taisho sighed,

"Honestly, Shippo, was that necessary?"

"He started it! You know sir, I actually don't think he's cut out for this! We don't need him."

"Why you little—" Inuyasha made to lunge forward for Shippo until he found himself held back by the general pushing and arm against his chest.

"Desist, Inuyasha."

"But he—!"

"I said, ENOUGH!" the general boomed, causing Inuyasha to shrink in chagrin and press his ears low against his head.

"…You're a hothead, for sure, which I can't have in my ranks." The half-demon flinched at this, but he knew the general wasn't wrong. "Discipline is something else you need to learn. A lot of brains but no polish, no doubt…" he sighed. Inuyasha's shrunk even more at the reprimand. "Now listen, we're about to embark on a rather dangerous mission in two days time, and I'm hesitant to have Shippo join us, despite all he's already been through with us. I'm entrusting his safety to you. You want to prove yourself? Well, here's your chance. …Don't make me regret it. Do I make myself clear, son?" He asked.

Shippo stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha from behind Taisho's back, bringing a thumb up to his nose and wiggling his fingers mockingly. The half-demon grit his teeth and bit back an angry. He furrowed his eyebrows and glared daggers at the kit before shifting his focus to the general..

"Crystal, sir." Then, he narrowed his eyes, "but please _…don't, call me son._ "

* * *

A/N: Presenting...GENERAL TAISHO (aka, George Washington)!

So though we introduce Taisho here, this chapter isn't not reflective of the song "Right Hand Man." I know, I know...but I have another idea for that, which will come into play later.

I honestly debated on holding off on his big entrance until the chapter that highlights the song, for dramatic effect, but this flowed so well I decided to keep it!

Next update may not be for a couple of weeks! If you like this and are interested in reading more, please leave a review!

Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey! So to anyone following this story, I've decided to just continue this on AO3. You can find it under 'Rikareena'. I'll also be sharing it on Tumblr under the same name. I may bring updates back here later, but its just way easier for me to update 2 platforms instead of 3.

Thank you for your interest!


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